Tampa Bay Coastal Team Works Through Film Proposals and Roof Collapses in a Unique Start to the Summer Nesting Season

It’s not every day that the coastal team has to negotiate with a film crew to protect nesting sea and shorebirds, but that’s the position Tampa Bay Shorebird Program Manager Kara Durda found herself in this spring. The crew filming a mini-series based on the 1984 novel “A Land Remembered” sought to record multiple scenes at Ft. De Soto Park in Pinellas County. 

The proposal concerned Audubon staff and our community partners. For some scenes, the film crew wanted to release dozens of livestock animals along a coastline known for American Oystercatcher and Wilson's Plover nesting, as well as in areas with active gopher tortoise nests. Durda and the coastal team worked with the local chapter, St. Pete Audubon, led by Dr. Beth Forys, as well as park and county staff, to field media requests and convince the film crew to choose another location. Luckily, “A Land Remembered” moved their biggest and most impactful scenes to an alternate site on private property, without vulnerable species such as nesting sea and shorebirds and tortoises. This was a win for community engagement and coastal protection, showcasing that our Florida environment needs to be shared by both people and wildlife. 

Roof Collapse Prompts Partnership to Protect Nesting Sea and Shorebirds 
 

American Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, and Least Terns have nested on a Tampa Bay-area Winn Dixie (now ALDI) rooftop since 2011. This year, a pair of oystercatchers, X16 and W35, incubated eggs while an interior renovation of the building began. These shorebirds utilize the gravel on the rooftop as a makeshift beach, with plenty of space and fewer predators. 

Unfortunately, just before the eggs hatched, a Friday night news report alerted our team to a 100-foot-wide hole that had opened on the roof when the structural supports inside the building failed. Audubon volunteers raced to the site the next morning, relieved to find the bird family unharmed. Tampa Bay Shore and Seabird Biologist Abby McKay worked right away with the building owner, the city, and eventually the construction contractors to alert everyone to the presence of the birds. 

“Contractors needed to stabilize the falling roof materials and noticed the oystercatcher family when they were doing so. The project superintendent knew something wasn’t right. Why were there shorebirds on the roof? He stopped work and reached out to Audubon staff to see what the birds needed,” McKay explained. 

Since the repairs were likely to disturb or harm the birds, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worked with the contractor to obtain a permit, and we made sure that the birds had a dedicated monitor when a worker needed to access the roof. Moreover, the project superintendent, John Robison, asked to place a temporary fence on the roof around the collapse to ensure that the chicks could not fall in. Audubon staff assisted with placement and ensured it was safe for the chicks. Robison checked in almost daily to ask about the chicks’ condition, if they needed anything, and more. "We couldn't have asked for a better partner," added McKay. 

We continued to monitor the chicks as they grew and are excited that both chicks successfully fledged. We're thankful for the strong partnerships that help us manage unexpected challenges during nesting season.  

This article was published in the 2026 Summer Naturalist.